I would add that the love of money being “the *root* of all evil,” the “root” is likely a demonic stronghold, real demon(s) driving this serious sin. To be free requires complete repentance. “Submit to God; resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.” The same is true with lust, which is demon driven.
We must be free so we have clear consciences before God and men, like Paul always practiced (Acts 24:16); otherwise, we’re not real, going-to-heaven, overcoming, full-of-light Christians.
EXCELLENT! I’ve been studying this lately: Peter warned in 2 Peter how slick preachers were twisting Paul’s words even back then, “UTTERING GREAT SWELLING WORDS OF EMPTINESS, they ENTICE THE LUSTS of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping [born-again Christians] from those who live in error; promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him” (2 Peter 2:18-19).
2 Peter 3:14-18:
Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, BE DILIGENT to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight. Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother PAUL also, according to the wisdom given to him, WROTE TO YOU, as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are SOME THINGS that are HARD TO UNDERSTAND, WHICH THE ignorant and UNSETTLED TWIST, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. YOU therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, BEWARE, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you FALL from your own steadfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Also, most pastors today preach mostly from Paul’s letters. An estimate I heard recently is 90% from Paul, who wrote some things that are hard to understand, whose words are easy to twist, Peter stated — while Peter is hardly ever quoted. Even Jesus’ words are twisted. Most often, John 10:28-29 is quoted without verse 27. And “Jesus didn’t really mean we’re in danger of hell” if we look at a woman to lust after her, for example.
Paul predicted OSAS and “only believe”:
“For The TIME WILL COME when THEY WILL NOT LISTEN to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves TEACHERS AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS; and will TURN AWAY THEIR EARS FROM THE TRUTH, and turn aside to *FABLES*” (2 Tim. 4:3-4)
Karlo Broussard is a Catholic theologian. *Some* of their ideas are more Biblical than what’s mainstream among Protestants.
NOTE/DISCLAIMER: I am NOT promoting Catholicism by posting this. I strongly reject praying to Mary and people who may be in heaven who can’t hear us to know how to pray for us. Adoring Mary and praying repetitive prayers to her in the Rosary borders on blasphemy. Also, Mary was not born sinless, like Jesus. This one really bothers me: the Catholic church (CC) teaches that Christians should NOT be like the Bereans, who Paul considered “more noble” because they eagerly received what Paul said and studied the Bible daily to make sure what Paul told them was true. The CC teaches that they are the true church, and their leaders and tradition decides what is true and not true. They believe their tradition and what the Pope says can trump what the Bible says. I completely reject that, and that there even is a pope. And Peter was NOT the first pope. James was the leader in Jerusalem, and was an apostle, not a pope. The CC didn’t start until centuries later. Priests (mediators) and calling them “Father” is also not Biblical. In the new covenant, Jesus is our only Priest. They teach that purgatory is a fact that people can depend on, instead of making sure we’re right with God and people now so we’ll have clear consciences, “no condemnation” before God when we die; though, some Catholic teachers do emphasize being right with God and people now so we’ll have saving grace when we die, which I applaud! Another dangerous doctrine: like the Lutherans, they believe infant baptism saves them, instead of “believe and be baptized,” which infants cannot do, but Catholics believe they can forfeit their salvation, unlike Lutherans, who are taught that their infant baptism seals their salvation, which is responsible for sending billions to hell, as is the Protestant teaching of “once saved, always saved” because we said the born-again prayer. We must actually abide in Christ to be “in Christ.” I am encouraged in seeing more and more Catholics being closer to what the New Testament actually says about who goes to heaven, especially my friend, David Anders, who hosts a show on EWTN called “Called to Communion.” However, I’m deeply disheartened by serious false teaching still taught and practiced by the Catholic church.
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This is what I’ve often said regarding Paul’s “what can separate us” passage at the end of Romans 8:
The “who shall separate us” promise in Romans 8:35 and “no condemnation” statement in verse 1 only applies to those who actually are “in Christ” based upon what Paul says in three different ways in verses 1-17:
Verse 1b: “who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Verse 4b: “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
Verse 13: “For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Verse 14: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God.”
Verse 17b: “joint-heirs with Christ; if indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.”
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I say salvation is guaranteed for those who have “no condemnation” because we actually abide in Christ, not walking to the flesh but according to the Spirit. As long as we stay in this condition, nothing can take our salvation away from us, Paul’s promise near the end of Romans 8.
Broussard’s emphasizes here is that Paul’s list of things that can’t take our salvation away in Romans 8:38-39 are all external. Our own willful and unrepentant sin is not in this list. We can forfeit our salvation if we don’t walk in Love.
“But now we have been DISCHARGED FROM THE LAW, having died to that in which we were held; so that *we serve in newness of the spirit*, and NOT IN THE OLDNESS of the letter” (Rom. 7:6).
“If you are LED BY THE SPIRIT, you are NOT UNDER THE LAW” (Galatians 5:18).
“The former regulation is SET ASIDE because it was WEAK AND USELESS (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God” (Hebrews 7:18-19).
“By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one OBSOLETE…” (Hebrews 8:13).
600 B.C.: Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a NEW covenant…. It will NOT be LIKE THE COVENANT I MADE…. I will put My law IN their minds and inscribe it ON their hearts. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
Well, you can call yourself a Baptist and not be born again A Presbyterian or a Methodist and still die in your sin You can even be Charismatic shout and dance and jump a pew But if you hate your brother you won’t be one of The chosen few.
Jesus in Mt. 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THOSE WHO CURSE YOU, DO GOOD to those WHO HATE you, and PRAY FOR THOSE WHO MISTREAT YOU and persecute you, 45 THAT YOU MAY BE CHILDREN of your Father who is in heaven.
1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 4:16 … God is love, and remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this, , in the day of judgment, because , in this world. 18 There is ; , because fear has punishment. . 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man says, “I love God,” and HATES HIS BROTHER, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 This commandment we have from him, that .
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, HATRED, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, 21 envyings, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let’s also walk by the Spirit. …
6:7 Don’t be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. 8 For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Revelation 21:7-8 HE WHO OVERCOMES SHALL INHERIT all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and *ALL LIARS* shall have their part in the LAKE WHICH BURNS WITH FIRE and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Keith at 6:40: “He’s not your Savior unless He’s your Lord.”
“Once saved, always saved” and “it’s hard to lose one’s salvation” have destroyed America, since so few “Christians” are now real Christians — salt and light.
For THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THEY WILL NOT LISTEN to the sound doctrine, but, having ITCHING EARS, will heap up for themselves TEACHERS AFTER THEIR OWN LUSTS; and WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, and turn aside to FABLES. (2 Tim. 4:3,4)
The world may be a much different place right now had Keith not died so young.
Dear friends, the reason many professing Christians are deceived is because they don’t want to LISTEN TO JESUS. They don’t want to follow Jesus, they don’t want to read His words and they certainly don’t want to obey these words. Most professing Christians don’t even know what it means to be a Christian. It means to FOLLOW CHRIST. It is all about JESUS and WHAT HE SAID. Yet most don’t want to accept that, they don’t want to follow and obey Jesus Christ, they just want to be ‘saved’.
Jesus said we must be born again of the Spirit of God. To be born again means that we have the Holy Spirit and when we have the Spirit, we belong to Christ, it means that Jesus becomes OUR LORD, He becomes our KING. He is SOVEREIGN OVER OUR LIVES. We are not our own anymore, we are HIS private possession, HIS HOLY TEMPLE WHERE HE LIVES. We also become simple servants for His Kingdom. Yet this is not what ‘Christians’ want to hear today. They want salvation, they don’t want the KING OF SALVATION.
…no matter how many Scriptures I brought up, even when I bring the salvational words of Christ Himself, even when I mention passages like John 15 that says that “the branch IN CHRIST that will not bear fruit will be cut off and BURNED”, even then, it will not convince the majority of professing Christians who got deceived by that lie.
With all the chaos that is going on in the world right now, Pastor Francis Chan expresses his concern for believers as times get harder and harder before Christ’s return. God has given the Church warnings about judgement day, and the things that lie ahead. We can stand before the throne of God at any second. The question is, are our hearts ready for that moment? Are our eyes open to truly knowing God like the scriptures say?
My Notes:
6:10 “What I’m most concerned about here in Hong Kong, when I talk to people is the way people talk about salvation compared to what I read in the Bible. There are so many people who feel safe … ‘I prayed the sinner’s prayer and I asked Jesus to come into my heart.'”
Do you know there is no sinner’s prayer in the Bible? Why do you have this confidence? I prayed that prayer too.”
What 1 John really says about how we know we have eternal life.
35:15 “You could listen to umpteen sermons on the baptism of the Holy Ghost on Christian TV, radio, what have you, you would never hear them say that the primary purpose is to cleanse your heart from inbred sin. It’s gone from the baptism *with the Holy Ghost*, which relates directly to Luke 3 and the cleansing of the fire, of the burning away of the chaff, which is our carnal nature, and now it’s about speaking in tongues. I’m not against speaking in tongues, but….” – David Corrico
39:40 “When you ignore the cleansing of the heart and just go into experience, it’s real easy to see why things are going so wrong in such a huge way in the Pentecostal world.” – David Corrico
This guy, George, learned some things the hard way, and is now dedicated to telling people the truth about how we must abide in Christ to be “in Christ,” in that overcoming-the-world relationship where peace and joy remains — where we can rest, because we’re not struggling with the flesh anymore. That’s real Christianity. Being born-again is just the start.
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– Are you a TRUE WORSHIPPER that God is looking for? – Do you worship God IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH? – Are you making sure you have that close and intimate relationship with Jesus? – Do you TRULY KNOW Him? – Does He KNOW you? – Do you discern the voice of the Spirit? – Do you FOLLOW that voice?
Freedom of sin means FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY to sin. We are no longer DOMINATED by sin. I am talking about sin like adultery, fornication, lusting on purpose, deliberate and constant lying, theft, watching pornography, etc.. These are HABITUAL sins that master people and dominate them.
Dear brothers, if we WALK in these sins and if we keep practicing them, MAKE NO MISTAKE, we WILL NOT be saved. Take heed brothers and sisters.
